SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTO BY STEVE GRAPHMAN M.L.E., Tom Henson Jr. and Emily, performed at the cruise-in. They will perform at 8 Seconds Saloon, 111 N. Lynhurst, Saturday. Doors open at 6 p.m. They were guests of DJ and promoter Paul Rippy.

The Southsider Voice’s fourth Car Nutz cruise-in of the season on Aug. 7 was one of the best ones to date. A magnificent evening with near-perfect temperatures resulted in a spectacular turnout of custom and classic cars and hot rods. An even greater number of enthusiasts and admirers and perhaps a few curious folks made it a jam-packed event, in which 25 large pizzas, 450 meatballs and more than 170 bottles of water were consumed in the first hour.

Saying the evening was fun and exciting is a gross understatement as that does not give the event the credit due. The Indiana State Fair may have opened that night, but the cruise-in had its own carnival atmosphere, complete with a carnival-size crowd.

And a festive mass it was. Storytelling, reminiscing and laughter were the sounds heard, as well as an occasional firing up of an engine. The contingent of curious onlookers ranged from small children to senior adults.

The cool hot rods filled the first six rows of parking spaces, with a few parked along the sides of the lot. It was an impressive and diverse showing of cars and trucks: eye-stunning beauties such as a showroom perfect 1935 Auburn to a customized 1959 Mack Truck chassis with a modern Dodge Ram truck bed.

Mustangs ranged from the original 1964 model to present-day ones. Conversely, a nice group of Camaros from 1967 to today were also present. There was also a variety of midsize and full-size sedans and coupes from the 1920s to today.

Many thanks to all of those fine folks for bringing their pride and joys out.

There was even a local celebrity in attendance – at least a celebrity to longtime hot rodders and fans of custom pinstriping – as Bob Keeney, the legend behind Bikini Pinstriping, was on hand. His trademark Bikini signature could and still can be seen on everything from go-carts to race cars. And it wasn’t just a leisurely visit, Bob was put to work by Car Nutz Dan Pfeiffer in customizing a chair.

Thanks to everyone, including sponsors Dant Insurance, Papa John’s Pizza and Beck Service Center, who made it a super evening.

Cars in the mid- to late 1960s were all about horsepower and styling. And every American automobile manufacturer made a sporty model for just about everybody. The midsize General Motor sedans – the A-Model platform from 1964-67, consisted of the Chevrolet Chevelle, the Buick Special, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Pontiac Tempest. They were all hot rods right off the showroom floor.

Jimmy Skiles’ 1967 Chevelle appears on the outside as if it just rolled off the showroom floor. In stock form this car would produce 375 horsepower.

However, nothing under the hood of this Chevelle is stock ... it’s all race car, boasting a Chevrolet 396 big block V-8 with an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor producing more than 400 horsepower. That power is coupled with a GM TurboHydramatic 350 automatic transmission. And what distinguishes this car even further is that there were only 612 factory versions of the Chevelle 396 produced in 1967.

The car was originally sold and maintained in California, which kept the sharp details of its design free from the effects of harsh Midwestern winters. The car maintains much of its showroom originality with its 15-inch Rally sport wheels, chrome, dashboard, AM-FM 8-track stereo and steering wheel. There have been modest improvements that don’t distract or take away from its stock roots, such as custom-made cloth seats and a $6,000 paint job.

And while Jimmy is no stranger to racing – racing Chevelles – this gem is purely for cruising on nice summer nights, at least for now.

The car will be passed down to son Thomas when he graduates from high school. Thomas is also familiar with racing, winning a go-kart championship at age 8 and then capturing the Bandelero championship in Charlotte, N.C., as an 11-year old. He won the title after destroying his car the previous night in a race. Jimmy worked feverishly and without rest all night repairing the car to race-ready status.

Until Thomas graduates, Jimmy will continue to drive the car, but only to car shows, cruise-ins and Dog ’n Suds.